Spacewalk №23: conquering a new frontier

Italian ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano, talks about her feelings and experiences during a spacewalk number 23.


My eyes closed, while Chris leads a countdown of the air pressure inside the airlock - it is already close to zero. But I'm not tired, quite the contrary! I feel fully charged, as if electricity, not blood, flowed through my veins. I just want to make sure that I can perceive and remember everything that happens. I'm mentally preparing myself to open the door, because this time I will leave the first station. Maybe it's just as well that night now, at least, nothing will distract me.

When the pressure drops to 3 kPa, it is time to turn the handle and pull the hatch itself. Outside the pitch black; it's not black, and it is dark - the complete absence of light. I eagerly soaked up the view when protrudes to secure our safety cables. Feeling completely at ease, I bend to allow Chris to pass. Within seconds we end up checking each other and share. Even despite the fact that both of us are heading to more or less the same part of the International Space Station, our itineraries are quite different, dictated a scrupulous study of choreography. My route straight to the back of the station, while Chris must first move to the front of the station to spend your rope around the Z1 - the central structure of the beam over the Node 1. At that time, none of us, neither in orbit or on Earth - I could not imagine how hard this decision will affect the events of the day.

I pay particular attention to every movement, making our way to the protective bag that we left outside a week ago. I am calm, but do not allow yourself to relax, it would be a mistake. Inside the bag I find a cable that will form part of my most probably heavy task for the day. I have to attach them to the external sockets stations at the same time securing them to the station surface in small pieces of wire. Both operations suggest that many will use their fingers, and I know from experience that it is very tiring because of air-filled glove box.

Chris joined the first part of the cable last week, so I'll take the free part, and gently lead her to the nest. After some difficulties in the beginning, I notify Houston that completed the task and ready to take the second cable. Grasping the next cable, I turn to the most difficult position on the station, I literally wedged between three different modules so that the visor of my suit and my PSG (my "backpack") are a few inches from the outer walls Node 3, Node 1 and Lab . Slowly, putting considerable effort I manage to connect a second cable to the jack. Then, blindly moving in the opposite direction, I'm letting go of the awkward position in which I had to work. On the Ground Shane tells me that I finished almost 40 minutes earlier than expected, and Chris also performs its tasks ahead of schedule.

It was at that moment when I ponder how to unwind the cable more careful (in weightlessness he twitches like a man possessed), I begin to "feel" that something is wrong. Suddenly I begin to feel the water on the back of the neck, and this is for me an unpleasant surprise. Very frustrating because in my position would not want to deal with surprises. I move my head from side to side, confirming their first impression, and superhuman effort to force myself to inform Houston about their feelings, knowing that because it could signal the end of the EVA. Shane confirmed that they had received my message and asks me to wait for further instructions. Chris, who had just finished, is still around and directed toward me in hopes visually identify the source of water in my helmet.

At first, we were both convinced that it is either bottled water from my jar protёkshaya through a straw, or just sweat. But it seems to me that the fluid is too cold to be then, and, more importantly, I feel that it becomes larger. I also see that the valve of the drinking water does not flows. When I tell this to Chris and Shane, we immediately obtain an order "to complete the" sortie. Another option - to "abort" is used in the case of more serious trouble. I give an indication to return to the airlock. Together we decide that Chris should fix all the elements that are outside before he comes back the same way to the gateway, ie Initially, he will move to the front of the station. So we share.

Going back along its route to the airlock, I'm more and more convinced that the amount of water increases. I feel like it gets on my headphones and I am wondering if I lose my connection. The water is almost completely covered the front of my visor, sticking to it and blocking my view. I understand that I will have to turn to an upright position to round one of the antennas on my way, and to my tether would normally hit the road. At the moment when I roll, two things happen: The sun sets, and my ability to see, is a violation of the water disappears completely, making my eyes are useless; but worse, the water gets up my nose - a truly horrible feeling I exacerbates their vain attempts to move the water, shaking his head. By this time, the upper part of the helmet full of water, and I'm not even sure what the next breath, I will fill your lungs with air, not liquid. What's worse, I do not know in which direction I need to move to get back to the airlock. I see only a few inches in front of him, unable to even consider the pens that we use to move around the station.

I'm trying to connect with Chris and Shane: I can hear them talking to each other, but their voices are very weak, I could barely hear them, but they can not hear me at all. I am one. I'm desperately trying to think of a plan of action. Vital as quickly as possible to get inside. I know that if I stay in place, Chris will come after me, but how much time do I have left? It is impossible to say. Then I remember about my tether. Unwound the rope mechanism develops strength of about 13 N, which "pulls" me in the right direction. The idea is so-so, but she's the best of what I manage to come up with: to follow a rope to the airlock. I force myself to calm down and patiently handle groping, I begin to move, all the time thinking about how you can remove the water if it reaches my mouth. The only solution that comes to mind - to open the relief valve near my left ear: if I start depressurization, I can turn to release some of the water, at least until it freezes, then the flow will stop. But breaching the "holes" in my space suit - it is the most extreme measure.

I move over, I think, of infinite time (but I know it took only a few minutes). Finally, with a great sense of relief, I peep through the curtain of water in front of my eyes, and I manage to see a heat insulating cover gateway: a little bit more and I'll be safe. One of the last instructions that I received - go inside immediately, without waiting for Chris. According to the protocol, I had to go to the airlock last because out first. But neither I nor Chris there are no problems with changing the order in which we return. Going with my eyes closed, I manage to get inside and stay so Chris could go. I feel the movement behind him; Chris comes into the airlock, and judging by the vibrations, closes the hatch. At this point the connection is switched to Karen, and, for some reason, I can hear it well enough. But I understand that she does not hear me, as I continued to repeat the same instructions despite the fact that I have already answered. I follow her instructions as best I can, but when the camera starts to pump air, I lose sound. Water got into my ears, and now I'm completely cut off.

I'm trying to keep the movement to a minimum so as not to disturb the water inside my helmet. I continue to give information about your health, saying that I was ok and pumping air into the chamber can continue. Now, when the pressure rises in the gateway, I know that if the water run over me, I can always open the helmet. Did I lose consciousness, but it is, in any case, better than the sink in the suit. At some point, Chris squeezes her my glove, and I motioned to him to show "OK". The last time he had heard my speech even before it went into the airlock!

Slowly crawling minutes until the pressure in the airlock chamber rises to normal, and finally, with a sudden wave of relief, I can see how the inner door opened, and the entire team gathered behind her, ready to help. They pulled me as quickly as possible. Karen unfasten my helmet and gently lifts it above my head. Fyodor and Paul immediately handed me a towel, and I thank them, but I do not hear their words, because my ears and nose a couple of minutes will be filled with water.

Cosmos - a harsh, inhospitable frontier, and we - the researchers, not colonizers. The skills of our engineers and the technology surrounding us make things seem simple, even though they are not the same, and perhaps we sometimes forget about it.

Better not forget.

Source: habrahabr.ru/post/218015/